Two-wheel drive



H. LAVE.

TWO-WHEEL DRIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1918.

1 849,2 1 2 Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

W/ TNESS 15.

ATTORNEY .AUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. HENRY LAVE, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LAVE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in .the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Two-VVheel Drives, of whichthe following is a description, reference being'hadto the accompanying draw- I ings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to drivingmechanism for automobiles and has for its object to take the place of the usual differential gear drive'for the rear wheels of an automobile truck or the like.

' complish the reverse drive of the wheels and dispense with the necessity for reverse drive gears in the speed change gear box.

Another object of the inventionis to pro- --vide a' direct drive for the slower moving lthe junction of the gear casing with the wheeliwhile permitting of differential'action or acceleration of the faster moving wheel by a ratchet connection on turnmg corners. I Another ob ect of the lIlVGIltlOIl is to sunplify the construction of a two wheel gear driveoflthis type.

i. With'the above and other objects in view the invention consists inthe two wheel drive as herein claimed and all equ1valents.

Referring to the accompanying drawmg,

l in whichlike characters of reference indicate the same-parts in different views:

Figure'i is a plan view of the two wheel drive of this invention with the casing broken-away;and

' Fig.2 is'a central sectional view thereof.

In these drawings 10 indicates the gear case in wh1ch are Qurnaled the rear drivlng axles 11 carryingthe'wheels 12 as usual.

YVithin the gear casing each'of the axles 11 has fixed on it a large beveledv gear wheel 18,

and pivotally mounted on a post" 14: up-

standing from the bottom of the gear casing between the beveled ."gear wheels :13 is an oscillating bearing member '15.? The pivotal mounting for the bearingmember preferablyconsists' ofa screw stud 16 projecting downwardly therefrom through an opening in the po'st'lfifwith a nut 17 threaded on its lowerendi- T 1 i ;A swinging shaft 18 is loosely mounted in the bearing'member 15 with-its ends slidably fitting in slots 19 and 20 through the rear TWO-WHEEL DRIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1920. Application filed June 3, 1918. Serial No. 238,026.

andlthe front of the gear casing 10 respective y.

g A cover plate 21 closes the end of slot 19 and the end of the swinging shaft 18 continues beyond the slot 20 where it is provided with a loose sleeve 22having an eye 23 projecting from one side to receive one arm of a bell crank 24 pivotally mounted at on a tubular extension 26 of the gear casing 10. A connecting r0d27 connects the other arm of bell crank 24 with a suitable operating lever, not shown, within reach of the driver, and by means thereof the bell crank may be operated to swing the shaft 18 on the pivotal connection of its bearing 15.

A driving shaft 28 driven by the engine in the same direction and preferably at varying speeds controlled by a speed change gear as usual, enters the gear casing by way of the tubular extension 26 and has a bearing 29 at tubular extension 26 and also has an end thrust bearing in the pivot post 14. A pinion 30 fixed on the drive shaft and preferably having rounded teeth as shown, meshes with a pinion 31 fixed on the swinging shaft 18 above it; The pinion 31 is preferably of the type having elongated slots or sockets to receive the teeth of pinion 31.

. This form of driving connectionbetween the drive shaft 28 and theswinging shaft 18 is -preferred to permitof the angular posirection of the ratchet teethof the-clutch members 33 is such as to compel the pinions to turn with the swinging shaft but permitting them to turn faster in the same dimotion by the slippage of the ratchet teeth. Coil springs 34 surrounding the shaft 18 and bearing on' the clutch members 33 urge them away from the bearing 15 into their clutching engagement with the pinions;

In a central or neutral position of the swinging shaft 18 both of the beveled pinat the same speed for turning the drive ions 32 willclear both of the beveled gears 13 and the'engine may turn freely without affecting the drive wheels 12. -When the swinging shaft 18 is moved by the operation of the'bell crank to oneextreme position, as shown in Fig.1, the front pinion 32 is moved into mesh with one of the gear'wheels 13'and the rear pinion 32 is moved into mesh with the. other gear wheel 13 so that looth a-Xles are driven in the same direction and wheels12 in the direction for propelling the vehicle forwardly; By'a shifting movement of the swinging shaft 18 to. its other eX- tre'me" positiomthep'inions 32 will be swung into mesh with the opposite gear wheels to those engaged them before, thus reversingthe direction of drive of the axles 11 to cause't'he backing of the vehicle, while the driving shaft 28 turns in the same direction.

In, either driving position direct-driving connection is made with each of the driving wheels 12so thattra'ction is maintained notwithstanding.theslipping of one: driving wheel; and when the occasion arises for one driving wheellturning' faster than vthe other, as when the vehicle is turning a corner, such 7 rearwardly.

' box as usual.

accelerated mo e t s permitted by th pp g 0f the ratchet clutches '33 wheth the Qhi iS'being driven forwardly or By means'of this invention 7 the driving gear is made exceedingly simple without the use of planetary differential gears and still permitting of the differential action in the turning of the driving wheels necessary for turnmg corners, and the reverse in direction of drive is accomplished at ail "driving speeds, making 'it' unnecessary to provide reversinggears 1n the'speed change I desire it to be understood that thisinvention "is not limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims: I

What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1

' 1. A two wheel drive for automobiles and the like, comprising a drive shaft, a pinion thereon, a swinging shaft, a pinion mounted on said swinging shaftand meshing with the pinion of the-drive shaft, a pair of pinions on "the swinging shaft turning therewith and positionedon opposite sides of the ful crum of theswinging shaft, and drive wheel shafts, each having a gear wheel alternately engaged "by the pinions respectively in the extreme positions of the swinging shaft. '2'. A two-wheel .drive for motor vehicles 7 comprising a pair of oppositely positioned independent gear wheels, a drive wheel connected with each gearfwheel, a swinging "shaft ful'crumed' intermediate its ends between said gear wheels, a pair of-pinions 1 shaft.

' the third pinion;

mounted on the swinging shaft to turn therewith and each meshing with one of the gear wheels in one extreme pivotal position of the swinging'shaft and positioned on op- .posite sides of the. fulcrum of the swinging shaft, means for swinging the swinging shaft, a dr ve shaft, and a gearing connec- .tion between said swlnging shaft and dr ve 3. A two' wheel drive for automobilesand the'l ke', comprisinga palr of oppos tely positioned gear wheels, a drivewheel having connection with each gear wheel, a swinging shaft 'fu lcrumed between rthe gear wheels,

a pair of pinions-havingratchet clutch (101 11 nection withfthe swinging shaftjto turn therewith, each pinion meshing with one of the gear wheelsflin one extreme pivotal positionof the swinging shaft and adapted to be changed to mesh with the other gear wheel 'inl the'other extreme-pivotal position of the swinging shaft, means for swinging 'w'heels inoneextreme pivotal position'of the swinging sh-aift and adapted :to be changed to mesh' with the :othergear wheel in the other extreme pivotal position :of the swinging shaft, a third pinion fixed on the swinging shaft, aldrive shaft having a pinion meshing -with: the third piniomand means for swinging the swinging shaft.

5. A two wheel drive forautomobiles and the like, comprising a pair of gearwheels oppositely dispos'edpapa'ir ofldrive wheel shafts'connec'ted with the gear wheels respectively, 'a swinging shaft ,fulcruzned between the gear wheels, a pair of pinions on the swinging shaft having ratchetzclutch connection therewith and each meshing with one of the gearwheels in one extreme pivotal "position of the swinging shaft and adapted to change to: m'esh with .the other gear of the -swinging shaft, means for swinging :the swinging shaft, a third pin-ionjfixed on the swinging shaft, and a suitably adriven drive shaft having a pinion meshing with .6. A two'wheel drive for automobiles and the like, comprising a casing, axles journa-ledtherein, drive wheels on,the';axles,

gear wheels on the axles withinz eg casing, a pivot post within thejcasing be .-;tweenithe gear, wheels, anloscillating hearing pivotally'mounted on the pivot post, a

wheel in itheotherentremepivotalposition p swinging shaft journa1edinthe oscillating bearing with its ends traveling throngh slots of the gear casing, means engaglng one end ofthe swinging shaft for swinging it on the pivotal connection of the oscillating bearing, pinions loosely mounted on the swinging shaft and respectively meshing with the gear wheels, spring-pressed ratchet clutch members splined on the swinging shaft and engaging the pinions, a third pinion fixed on the swinging shaft, and a drive 10 HENRY LAVE. Witnesses:

R. S. C. CALDWELL,

H. D. CHASE. 

